Backpack jacket

ABSTRACT

A dual purpose article carrier includes a backpack with a concealed garment stored under a flap or panel of the backpack. The backpack has a handle for carrying, shoulder straps and a waistbelt for supporting and distributing the weight of the contents of the backpack. The panel is at least partially removable for deployment of the garment and is preferably attached and secured between the garment and the backpack.

PRIORITY CLAIM

Priority is claimed of the filing date of, and to, applicant's provisional patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 60/506,344 filed Sep. 26, 2003, entitled “BACKPACK JACKET” and which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to backpacks and to garments such as jackets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, articles and things are carried in backpacks in a variety of applications. Hunters, campers, tourists, sports fans, outdoorsmen, students, children and the like increasingly use backpacks to carry gear, papers, books, clothing, toys and other articles. While some may carry a variety of garments to shelter the user in certain weather conditions, such as in precipitation, temperature changes or the like, the presence of such a garment is not assured. The backpack owner must select it and remember to pack it if it is to be available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As one example, school children will frequently use a backpack to carry books and supplies for school. If the weather is conducive to wearing a jacket as they leave, they may do so. And when the weather warns or dries at the time of returning, the jacket may be forgotten or misplaced. However, if they leave during nice weather and run into precipitation or colder weather at return time, they may not have an appropriate jacket with them. Accordingly, they may be stuck with a backpack but not a jacket if it was not originally packed. Similar problems occur in other applications. Moreover, children, for example, may misplace or forget their jackets so they are not available when needed.

It is accordingly one objective of the invention to provide a backpack with a jacket which is always available with the backpack.

It is a further objective of the invention to provide a backpack with a jacket wherein the backpack can be used independently of deployment of the jacket, and yet also be used when the jacket is deployed and worn by a wearer.

It is a further objective of the invention to provide a backpack with a deployable jacket wherein the backpack is carried on a user via shoulder and/or waist straps irrespective of whether or not the jacket is stored or deployed and worn.

To these ends, the invention compromises a backpack having at least one storage pocket, shoulder straps, and an optional waist strap. On a forward wall of the backpack facing a wearer, a garment such as a jacket is secured. A flap of the backpack is positioned over the garment and is releasably held there, for example, by a zipper around or on the forward wall, outside of the garment. The flap, when zipped to the forward wall, conceals and stores the garment. When it is desired to wear the garment, the flap is unzipped and the garment is donned by a user with the backpack still attached to it. The garment sleeves are extended between the shoulder straps and the backpack so the weight is carried on the shoulders of the wearer and not primarily by the attachment of the garment to the backpack.

The flap can be inserted between the attached garment and forward wall for out-of-the-way storage when the garment is deployed. The flap may be releasably secured in the position by a hook and loop or other suitable fastener.

Optionally, a waist strap can be extended from the backpack for support whether or not the garment is deployed. The garment is preferably permanently attached to the forward wall of the backpack but could be releasably attached. The flap may be zipped to the forward wall around the area in which the garment is stored or may be releasably held there by hook and loop fastening or any other suitable releasable securing means.

When the garment is stored, it is simply folded against the forward wall and the flap secured around it. If the garment is in stored condition, the backpack has the appearance of a simple backpack with one or more storage compartments, safety reflective strips, smaller outer pockets, lashing, straps, decorations or the like.

These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and from the drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective rear view of a backpack according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of the backpack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the backpack with the garment stored;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but illustrating opening of the garment covering flap for garment deployment;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the invention from perspectives similar to FIGS. 2 and 4 but showing the garment in a deployed position;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the garment in a deployed position before the shoulder straps are mounted over the garment shoulders and before the garment covering flap is stored;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the garment in a deployed position with sleeves inserted through the shoulder straps; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the secured and hidden flap when the garment is deployed.

It will be appreciated that FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in order illustrate deployment of the garment from a stored to a fully deployed position with respect to the backpack.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 respective rearward and forward illustrations of a backpack jacket 10 according to the invention. Backpack jacket 10 includes a backpack 12 and a garment or jacket 14. Garment or jacket 14 can be of any configuration, preferably a sleeved garment having a hood and being of jacket length. The garment 14 can be of any form of garment which might be found suitable for use as described below.

In particular, one preferred garment, for example, is garment 14 having extending right and left sleeves 16 and 17 respectively, a hood 18 and a closure zipper 19 for closing the garment around a user.

The backpack 12 itself includes at least one and preferably two respective shoulder straps 21, 22. The shoulder straps are secured at their upper ends to the top of the backpack 12 and are adjustable by means of adjustment straps 21 a, 22 a respectively, and extending tabs 21 b and 22 b respectively, all as shown, for example, in FIG. 6 and in FIG. 2.

An optional waistbelt 23 is attached to the sides of the backpack at its lower end and is secured by means of fast release buckle 24. Belt 23 is adjustable to fit varied users.

Backpack 12 further includes a major rear compartment 27 (see FIGS. 3 and 8, for example), and a zipper 28 for closing and opening compartment 27 for access to the compartment 27, and an outer pocket, for example, 29, also opened and closed by a zipper. Any form of compartments 27, 29 can be used and any form of closure, such as the zipper 28, hook and loop fasteners or other closures can be used for these compartments.

Also, it will be appreciated that the backpack 12 may comprise many other types of pockets, lashings, loops, decorations, logos and/or reflective safety stripes such as stripe 30, for example (FIG. 1). Backpack 12 also includes a forward wall 32 (see, for example, wall 32 shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8). It is the forward wall 32 which comprises and defines the forward wall of the compartment 27.

A flap 34 is releasably positioned over the wall 32 on the forward side of the pack. Flap 34 is releasably secured to backpack 12 and is preferably secured by any releasable securing device, such as a zipper 35, to wall 32 which zipper is configured in a horseshoe-like configuration, such as shown in FIG. 2. Zipper 35 is an inverted U-shape and flap 34 is preferably permanently secured to the backpack 12 at the lower portion of the flap as at 36 (FIG. 2). Flap 34 is provided with one component of a hook and loop type fastener 38 or any other releasable securing fastener means.

Zipper 35 is disposed on the backpack exteriorly of a stored garment 14 as will be described.

Fastener 38 is configured and positioned on flap 34 to cooperate with another component of the same fastener 38 on an exterior portion of the forward wall 32 at its upper end near the upper end of the backpack 12.

The use of the backpack and the deployment of the garment 14 from the backpack 12 is illustrated progressively in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. For example, a user begins with the backpack such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, where the garment 14 is stored between the forward wall 32 and the flap 34. In this configuration, the shoulder straps 21, 22 are fitted over the shoulders of a user, the optional waistbelt is fastened around the waist of the user, and the backpack is carried as, and looks like, a normal backpack.

In the event of inclement weather, for example, the garment 14 can be deployed from the backpack 12. Preferably and in one manner of deployment, the straps 21, 22 are rotated around to the rear of the backpack as illustrated by the respective arrows A and B in FIG. 2. Once this is accomplished, the zipper 35 is unzipped and the flap 34 is folded away from the garment 14, such as shown by the arrow C in FIG. 4. Once the zipper 35 is unzipped and the flap moved away, the garment 14 can be deployed outwardly, such as, for example, in the direction of arrows D in FIG. 4. Once the garment is deployed, the preferred garment 14, for example, takes on the configuration as shown in FIG. 5.

The garment 14 is preferably secured to the forward wall 32 by any suitable means, such as by a horseshoe-shaped stitching which extends across the back of the garment and partially downwardly from that stitching on both sides. Such stitching is interior of zipper 35 for flap 34. In FIG. 5, the outer configuration of the backpack 12 is shown in dotted lines when the garment is deployed. It will be appreciated that the garment attachment means, whether it comprises stitching, some form of adhesion, or some other attachment, is located within the zipper 35 and the periphery described by the zipper 35.

In this position, the flap 34 depends as shown in FIG. 5 and from the rear in FIG. 6. Since the lower end of the garment 14 is preferably not secured to the forward wall 32, a space is provided thereby, between the garment 14 and the forward wall 32. The flap 34 is introduced into this space and pulled or pushed upwardly to a position, such as illustrated in FIG. 8 where the fastener 38 and the two components thereof are secured together, thus holding the flap 34 up and against the wall 32 so that it does not depend.

There are several ways for a wearer to don the deployed garment. He can either put it on from the position as shown in FIG. 6, with the flap 34, however, secured upwardly and out of the way, and then rotate the shoulder straps 21, 22 over his shoulders.

Alternatively, he can simply rotate the shoulder straps 21, 22 back forwardly of the backpack and pull the sleeves 16, 17 between the respective shoulder straps and the backpack 12. In this position, he can unzip the zipper 19, don the garment, apply the optional waistbelt 23 around his waist and adjust the shoulder straps so that the weight of the backpack is carried on his shoulders and not by virtue of the interconnection or fastening between the garment 14 and the backpack 12. In this regard, all he needs to do is pull on the depending, respective tabs 21 b, 22 b to tighten the shoulder straps and comfortably position the backpack on his back.

Since the garment 14 can be made of any suitable materials and can be insulated or non-insulated, it can protect the wearer from inclement weather such as precipitation, and yet still be breathable. Or it can provide more thermal insulation by being insulated or having a lining. Moreover, the garment could be extended or longer, or of other shapes. It could be hoodless or not, and of generally any suitable shape as desired.

When the use of the garment 14 is no longer desired, it is simply placed back into the backpack as follows. The flap 34 is released from its attachment at the upper end of wall 32 and is pulled downwardly. The garment 14 is then folded against the wall 32 and the flap 34 is placed over the garment, storing and concealing it. The zipper 35 is operated to secure the flap on to the backpack, over the garment 14 wherein the backpack 12 takes on the configuration, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this regard, it will be appreciated that when the garment 14 is permanently secured to the forward wall 32, it makes it very difficult to displace or to misplace the garment 14, as compared to the backpack 12. A child is thus, for example, more likely to have the backpack 12 and the garment 14 more readily available than if the backpack 12 and the garment 14 were separable.

Preferably a handle 25 is secured to the upper end of the backpack so that it can be easily carried and manipulated.

Accordingly, the invention 10 provides a combined backpack 12 and garment 14 wherein the garment 14 is preferably permanently secured to the backpack 12 and is readily available for use. The garment 14 can be deployed and used while the backpack 12 is carried, once the garment 14 is donned by a user, in an entirely conventional fashion.

At the same time, when it is not desired to utilize the garment 14, the backpack 12 appears to be a simple backpack and is used in a normal manner. When the garment 14 is relatively only a shell, for example, of a breathable membrane, and perhaps a liner or cover, it folds relatively flat so that the space it takes up between the flap 34 and the forward wall 32 is minimal. This does not detract from the overall use of the backpack.

Moreover, it will be appreciated that the storage compartments or pockets 27, 29 are not diminished by the particular position of the garment 14, so that no space in either of these pockets is taken up by the garment 14, but instead the garment 14 is hidden and out of the way until it is deployed.

The combination 10 of such a backpack 12 and garment 14, together with the ability to deploy garment 14 therefrom and still carry the backpack 12 in a traditional manner, whether the garment 14 is worn or stored, is advantageous.

These and other modifications and alternative embodiments will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of this invention and applicant intends to be bound only by the claims appended hereto. 

1. In combination, a garment and a backpack and comprising: a backpack having at least one shoulder strap, a storage compartment and a forward wall; a flap having at least portions releasably securable to said backpack; a garment having a portion at least releasably attached to said wall; said flap in a stored position of said garment covering said garment and said flap being at least partially releasable from said backpack for deployment of said garment.
 2. A combination as in claim 1 wherein said flap secures said garment against said forward wall when said garment is stored, and further said flap being releasably securable to said wall between said wall and said garment when said garment is deployed by a user for wearing.
 3. A combination as in claim 2 including a releasable securing means on said flap and said forward wall for releasably securing said flap between said garment and said forward wall.
 4. combination as in claim 1 wherein said backpack has two shoulder straps, and said garment has sleeves for the arm of a wearer, said sleeves being extendable between said shoulder straps and said backpack when said garment is deployed.
 5. A combination as in claim 4 wherein said garment is permanently attached to said backpack.
 6. A combination as in claim 5 wherein said shoulder straps support the weight of said backpack when said garment is deployed and worn by a user.
 7. A garment and backpack combination including: a garment attached to a backpack; a flap for covering said garment in a stored position on said backpack; said flap being at least partially removable for said backpack for deployment of said garment for wear by a user; said backpack having shoulder straps for supporting said backpack on a user's shoulders when said garment is stored and when said garment is deployed and worn by a user. 